1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors for a flat circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional flat circuit boards include flexible printed circuit boards (FPC) and flat cables. Japanese Patent No. 3047862 discloses a connector for connecting such a flat circuit board to a member to be connected such as another circuit board.
As FIG. 6 shows, in the connector of the above Patent, a terminal 60 supported by a housing 50 is made by stamping a metal sheet so as to have a pair of parallel arms 61 and 62 and a linking section 63 that links these arms at the middle position. The arms 61 and 62 have contact projections 64 and 65 at one end and, at the other end, a flexible section to be flexed by a rotary member 70 and a connection section 66 to be connected to a circuit board, respectively. The rotary member 70 is supported by the arm 62 at a circular projection 71 for rotation. When it is rotated in the A direction, its pressure section 72 pushes up the free end of the arm 61.
After a flat circuit board F is inserted into a space between the contact sections 64 and 65 of the arms 61 and 62, the rotary member 70 is rotated in the A direction to flex upward the free end of the arm 61. Consequently, the contact section 64 is moved downward to hold the flat circuit board F between the contact sections 64 and 65 such that the circuit section F1 is connected electrically to the circuit board via the terminal 60.
The contact sections 64 and 65 of the above connector have a rounded tip so as to prevent scratching the flat circuit board F. However, the rounded tips can permit the flat circuit board F to come off by accidental pull. The flat circuit board has the circuit section F1 on the front side and a reinforcing film of polyamide or the like on the back side for easy insertion. Scratching the reinforced side does not matter.